Department for Transport

Rescue Services: Northern Ireland

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 2 November (HL2687), how many times over the past 12 months Maritime and Coastguard Agency helicopters have flown from Great Britain to Northern Ireland to provide assistance to injured persons.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: In the last 12 months, 1 November 2015 to 31 October 2016, Maritime and Coastguard Agency search and rescue helicopters were tasked 11 times to locations in Northern Ireland. Assistance was given to four injured people.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Combined Authorities: Bristol

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress is being made in delivering a combined authority including Bristol City Council and surrounding councils.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: On 4 July 2016, the three West of England Councils published a scheme, in accordance with the legislation, setting out their proposals for a mayoral combined authority, on which they undertook a consultation ending on 15 August 2016. Subsequently, as statute requires, the councils submitted a summary of the consultation responses to the Secretary of State. The next step in the statutory process is for the Secretary of State to seek the consent of the three councils to the making of an Order, which subject to Parliament’s approval, will establish the West of England Combined Authority and confer new powers on it.

Combined Authorities: South Yorkshire

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress is being made in delivering a combined authority in South Yorkshire and surrounding areas.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Sheffield City Region Combined Authority was established on 1st April 2014. On 1st July 2016, the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority published a scheme, in accordance with the legislation, setting out proposals, including for the expansion of the city region to include Chesterfield and Bassetlaw District Councils. The City Region undertook a consultation on these proposals ending on 12 August 2016, as statute requires, and subsequently submitted a summary of the consultation responses to the Secretary of State. The next step in the statutory process is for the Secretary of State to consider whether or not, subject to Parliament's approval and the consent of the councils concerned, to implement the proposals.

Mayors

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what sources of government funding are available to authorities which have mayors but not available to other authorities in England; and what are the reasons for any difference.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: Mayoral Combined Authorities have been created following ‘Devolution Deal’ negotiations. These new local authorities have been awarded a new investment fund grant. The value of investment fund grants differs in each Mayoral Combined Authority, owing to the process of negotiation. Whilst most investment funds have been awarded in a deal with a mayor, they have also been agreed in other ‘deals’, including ‘City Deals’ and ‘Growth Deals’.

Infrastructure: Capital Investment

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total allocation of infrastructure investment in each of the regional growth deals to each region in England, and what is the estimated population of each region.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The government has made over £7 billion of Local Growth funding available to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) across England to create the infrastructure they need and invest in their other priorities to unlock growth. Opportunities to boost productivity are best identified by those with detailed local knowledge, and this funding is spent by LEPs in line with regional priorities.The award of Growth Deal investment in each Local Enterprise Partnerships region has been published on the gov.uk website and is available in pdf form https://www.gov.uk/government/news/growth-deals-gain-momentum-firing-up-local-economies>. Estimated regional populations provided by the Office for National Statistics are below. Estimated Regional PopulationNameEstimated Population mid-2015North East2,624,621North West7,173,835Yorkshire and the Humber5,390,576East Midlands4,677,038West Midlands5,751,000East6,076,451London8,673,713South East8,947,913South West5,471,180Source: Office for National Statistics: 2015 mid-year population estimates published in June 2016

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Wind Power: Subsidies

Lord Donoughue: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they estimate was their public subsidy contribution to UK wind farms during the period from 24 to 31 October.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: UK wind farms are currently supported under the Renewables Obligation (RO) or Feed-in Tariff (FiT) schemes. Data for support given to plants accredited under the RO scheme for October 2016 will be available in January 2017 from Ofgem. See link here: https://www.renewablesandchp.ofgem.gov.uk/Public/ReportManager.aspx?ReportVisibility=1&ReportCategory=0 Data for support given to plants accredited under the FiT scheme for October 2016 will be published in Ofgem’s forthcoming annual report. The report does not break spend down by technology or month. The current report for 2014/15 can be accessed here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2016/03/fit_annual_report.pdf  



Annual Report 2014-15
(PDF Document, 1.94 MB)

Directors: Females

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to increase levels of gender equality in the boardrooms of UK-based public limited companies.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government believes it is in the best interests of business to tap into the widest talent pool and to have a diverse leadership which draws on a variety of backgrounds, skills and experiences.That is why, following the recommendations in the final report of Lord Davies’s Review on Women on Boards, published in October 2015, we appointed Sir Philip Hampton and Dame Helen Alexander to lead a new review into improving the gender balance in FTSE leadership. The first report of the Hampton-Alexander Review was published on 9 November 2016, and sets a FTSE 350 target of at least 33% representation of women on their Boards by 2020 and a 33% target for women in senior leadership positions for the FTSE 100 also by 2020.As of October 2016, women now make up 23% of FTSE 350 boards positions, up from 21.9% in October 2015. This was 9.5% at the start of the Davies Review in 2011.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to update Parliament on the overall cost of the Hinkley Point installation and any variation in costs that might occur as the construction progresses.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The costs of construction of Hinkley Point C are a commercial matter for the developer, who has taken on the risks of construction overruns, and in addition has agreed to arrangements in the contract meaning that if the costs of construction fall below a threshold level, any gains will be shared with consumers.

Trade Competitiveness

Lord Stevenson of Balmacara: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to introduce the Better Markets Bill.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: This Government is committed to delivering serious reform to make the UK a country that works for everyone. This year we consulted on a number of measures to be taken forward in the Better Markets Bill. We are carefully considering the responses and will respond, setting out the next steps, in due course.

Fracking

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report from the Dutch Safety Board in February 2015 into the man-made earthquakes in Groningen proven to be a result of shale gas extraction; and what assessment they have made of the parallels that can be drawn in relation to UK geology and the safety of the UK's shale gas operations.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Extraction of shale gas has not induced any earthquakes in Groningen. The UK has over 50 years’ experience in regulating onshore oil and gas, and strong controls are in place to mitigate seismic risks. Operators have to use all available geological information to assess the location of faults before wells are drilled to avoid hydraulic fracturing near faults. They must then monitor seismic activity in real time, before, during and after operations, and halt injection if seismic activity exceeds a predefined level. Operators must immediately stop injection if a tremor of magnitude 0.5 or greater is detected, reduce pressure of fluid in the well and then monitor seismicity for 24 hours to determine whether any later events are recorded before any further activity can take place. This 0.5 threshold has been adopted as an initial precautionary level set on the basis of a report by a group of independent experts, and a tremor of this magnitude would only be detectable at the ground’s surface through the use of sensitive equipment.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Iran: Embassies

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the inability of the Iranian embassy in the UK to open a UK bank account, what assessment they have made of the extent to which the operations of that embassy, including its consular activities, are constrained.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The inability of the Iranian Embassy in the UK to open a UK bank account remains a source of concern and one that the Government has been working closely with the banking sector to help the Iranian Embassy to resolve.However, it is for banks to decide which accounts to accept based on their own risk assessment and taking into account the costs of managing those risks.We are nevertheless committed to helping the Iranian Embassy resolve this issue and will continue to help them to explore all viable options.

Pakistan: Radicalism

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have discussed with the government of Pakistan point 5 of Pakistan's National Action Plan of 24 December 2014, and the steps taken to implement this provision.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK and Pakistan have a shared interest in addressing and reducing the threat of terrorism. We are committed to working together to combat the terrorist threat and the extremism that sustains it, in a human rights compliant manner. This helps reduce the threat to the UK and UK interests.Part of that work involves tackling extremism and developing narratives to tackle the extremist ideology that is the root cause of terrorism. We frequently raise this at the highest levels with the Pakistani Government, as well as providing assistance.Countering the extremist threats to Pakistan also requires investment to improve education, tackle poverty and help develop the civilian institutions that can deliver rule of law. We help to provide this investment through our bilateral aid programme.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Health Services

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 31 October (HL2510), in which developing countries the UK supports private healthcare providers.

Lord Bates: To help ensure the health needs of the poor are met, the UK Department for International Development supports improvement of the quality, affordability and accessibility of healthcare provided to poor people by non-state providers. This forms part of DFID’s approach to accelerating progress towards universal health coverage in a range of its priority countries currently including Burma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 31 October (HL2511), what lessons they have learnt in respect of the use of aid to support mixed public and private health systems to deliver high quality, accessible and affordable healthcare to the poor.

Lord Bates: The UK Government’s support to mixed health systems is evidence-based and includes rigorous mechanisms for lesson learning. We know that the non-state sector (for-profit and not-for-profit providers both in the formal and informal sector) delivers a substantial share of healthcare in low income countries - but that private provision might not meet the needs of the poor and can be inaccessible, of low quality, and unaffordable. Two key lessons for the use of aid in this area are (i) the need to focus on the needs of the poorest, and (ii) the importance of strengthening government stewardship of mixed health systems, to promote equitable access to quality and affordable health commodities and services. DFID programmes apply these lessons in the countries where we work with private providers.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development assistance to the Palestinian people Developments in the economy of the Occupied Palestinian Territory published in July 2015, what assessment they have made of the future habitability of the Gaza Strip.

Lord Bates: The UK remains deeply concerned by the situation in Gaza and the report’s warning that Gaza could become uninhabitable by 2020. UK aid has supported economic development, provision of basic services, and enabled reconstruction through support to the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism. However, as the report makes clear, aid alone cannot solve the problems in Gaza. We welcome Israel’s decision last year to increase the water supply to Gaza, as well as other commitments which permit the construction of essential energy infrastructure. Improvements in energy and water provision are essential to improve the daily life of the people living in Gaza. The UK government frequently stresses with both parties the importance that these commitments are implemented quickly, and continues to press for a sustainable political solution for Gaza which will address Israel’s legitimate security concerns whilst opening up movement and access.

Gaza: Sewers

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the possibility of a cholera epidemic following the breakdown of the sewage system in Gaza.

Lord Bates: The UK is concerned by the electricity shortage in Gaza and the serious impact it is having on the sewage system. We are in close touch with humanitarian agencies such as UNICEF, who lead on water and sanitation, about the main health risks associated with sewage treatment in Gaza. We are also in regular dialogue with Israel, the Palestinian Authority and other development actors on energy issues. The UK has supported partners such as the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which provides health services and repairs water infrastructure in Gaza. We are also encouraged by the commitments Israel made at the UN General Assembly in New York this year, which permit the construction of essential energy infrastructure for Gaza. The UK government frequently stresses with both parties the importance that these commitments are implemented quickly.

Department for Education

Social Services: Children

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Nash on 6 July (HL Deb, col GC248), whether they will provide more details of the children's service omnibus survey, including how they intend to frame the request to local authorities about how they analyse demands for services; and whether they plan to consult on the construction of the questionnaire, and if so, when and with whom.

Lord Nash: The Department for Education (DfE) Children’s Services Survey, also referred to as the Children’s Services Omnibus Survey, is conducted by an independent research agency, NatCen social research, on behalf of the DfE. The survey has been funded for two years and will survey local authorities twice a year. The survey will help the DfE understand key issues facing children’s services and local authorities’ experiences of implementing different policies, focusing on Early Years and Childcare, Children’s Social Care and Special Educational Needs and Disability. The first survey was completed by local authorities in October 2016. The results from this survey will be published in a research report on the Government’s website, www.gov.uk, in spring 2017. One of the topics local authorities were asked about in the first survey was their use of data to analyse need for services. Local authorities were asked how confident they feel that their authority is able to identify unmet needs for individual children and families. Local authorities were also asked if they have a function or team that is able to (a) analyse the demand for children’s social care; (b) compare the cost of different interventions to make planning decisions for children’s services, (c) assess the impact of different interventions to make planning decisions for children’s services; and (d) identify unmet needs for individual children and families. The questionnaire for the second survey is currently in development. Questions for the survey are proposed by policy officials to the research team, and these are developed with an advisory group of local authority representatives. The survey is piloted in 20 local authorities; data and feedback from the pilot is used to develop the final questionnaire. The final questionnaire is signed off by children’s services policy directors.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Lord Blunkett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what character education grants were awarded to organisations and schools from 2014 to 2016; what was the value of each grant awarded; who were the recipients of each grant awarded; and what was the purpose and impact of those grants.

Lord Nash: Character Education Grants were awarded to 14 organisations to run programmes in 2015/16. This grant programme was part of the Government’s commitment to help schools ensure that more children develop a set of character traits, attributes and behaviours that underpin success in education and in work. Grants were awarded to organisations either to encourage the expansion of existing projects that demonstrated character education or to support new and innovative projects to develop promising approaches in this area. Grant recipients were responsible for commissioning evaluations of their activity, a number of which have been published by the grant recipients. We have not conducted centrally an assessment of the overall impact of the grants. The table below provides details of each recipient, the value of each grant, and a description of the activity undertaken by each organisation.  OrganisationValue of Grant (£)ActivityPremier Rugby Limited£556,494Inspired by the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Premier Rugby Limited, together with 14 professional rugby clubs, designed and delivered new character-based programmes in primary and secondary schools. These programmes provided classroom-based and physical activities based on the core rugby values of respect, teamwork, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship. A complementary 33-week intensive programme targeted 16 to 18 year olds not in education, employment or training (NEET), including character building activities, qualifications, work experience and employability skills.St John Ambulance£254,911St John Ambulance delivered a programme of first aid training aimed at building a nation of resilient, confident and motivated young first aiders. The programme also aimed to develop community spirit and conscientiousness, and to raise aspirations.The Scout Association£302,299The Scout Association ran a pilot project called “Scouting by Doing” in partnership with Demos. The pilot, run in six schools in the South East and the Midlands, sought to tackle the barriers to character education in deprived areas by equipping schools to deliver school-based Scouting activities to children aged 8 to 10. The programme aimed to develop robust evidence on the effectiveness of different approaches and to produce a scalable framework and online toolkit to be made freely available to all schools.The University of Birmingham£201,895With support from the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham, the purpose of this programme was to develop and pilot an innovative suite of teaching materials and methods building on existing research about how character education could be taught through established curriculum subjects.The Challenge Network£315,734The Challenge Network aimed to up-scale its HeadStart programme to a further 1,900 16 to 18 year olds across London and Birmingham. The purpose of this programme was to develop a range of positive character traits and work readiness by challenging young people to commit at least 16 volunteering hours in return for a guaranteed interview for a part-time job with a major business.Youth Sport Trust£95,527Through this programme the Youth Sport Trust implemented a new programme aimed at developing PE lessons and resources to build in young people the essential character traits that help them to succeed.Floreat Education£124,002Floreat Education developed and piloted a character virtue development programme for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils in its two free schools. The project included teacher training and the development of story-based teaching resources, supported by activities to build pupils’ character.PSHE Association£137,000The PSHE Association developed and piloted a PSHE character curriculum from key stages 1 to 4 in 10 schools.CSN Community Interest Company£79,945CSN Community Interest Company worked with mental health charities to expand its “summit programme” aimed at building core character traits and resilience in disadvantaged young people. The programme involved a targeted intervention programme, school workshops, and intensive residential courses.The Prince’s Trust£584,366The Prince’s Trust expanded its XI programme, which aimed to increase motivation, confidence and resilience to support future success. It introduced timetabled activity in schools linked to wider curricula covering volunteering, life skills, and other character-building projects such as extra-curricular sports and outdoor activities.City Year UK£334,206Through this project, City Year UK provided four schools where more than half of pupils were eligible for the pupil premium with a team of full-time volunteer corps members aged 18 to 25 plus a full-time member of City Year staff. The overall aim of the intervention was to improve attendance, behaviour, engagement and attainment. Activities delivered through the programme included running breakfast clubs, supporting pupils in class, being a role model and a presence for inclusion and good behaviour at break times, eating meals with students, and offering a range of after-school activities such as homework clubs, debate clubs and social action projects.The King’s School£193,784The King’s School worked in a consortium with four secondary schools in Devon to pilot a character-building programme, with a particular focus on disadvantaged children. The programme aimed to focus on four key character traits of resilience, leadership, community and curiosity through a range of approaches including mentoring, volunteering, and outdoor enrichment and enterprise activities. The programme also aimed to train staff in effective approaches to building character and developing resilience, and included a strong focus on raising aspirations, particularly in STEM careers.The Church of England Education Office£124,820The Church of England Education Office piloted “what-if learning”, a cross-curricular model developed by an international partnership of educators. This aimed to equip teachers with a practical approach to promoting the development in the classroom of those positive virtues and character traits which lead to success in learning and increased engagement in community and voluntary activities.Young Enterprise£162,495Through this programme, Young Enterprise aimed to support 200 15 to 18 year olds with special educational needs or disabilities within 20 schools or centres with an intensive programme to develop the essential character traits needed for success in employment and life through practical experiences of work. Through the programme, young people worked together to plan, set up and run a company or social enterprise. They took part in a number of enterprising activities supported by inspirational local volunteers from the world of work.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Education

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what sanctions are imposed on prison providers when targets for education are not met.

Lord Keen of Elie: The current contractual arrangements enable the National Offender Management Service to impose sanctions upon education providers, including withholding payment, if they do not deliver learning to prisoners or are subject to a poor Ofsted inspection.Through the Prison Safety and Reform white paper, the Government has set out its proposals to deliver major reforms to the prison system to cut reoffending and help reduce crime. The Justice Secretary has been clear that she wants prisons to be places of safety and reform, helping get offenders off drugs and giving them basic education skills they need to find work on release.As part of these reforms we will be raising standards, including measuring an individual’s educational attainment, empowering prison governors to take decisions over how best to support their prisoner cohort, while holding them to account on an agreed set of standards.

Prisoners' Release: Housing

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of prisoners given sentences lasting less than 12 months are allocated accommodation upon their release.

Lord Keen of Elie: This information is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Home Office

Police

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the 41 Chief Constables presently serving in police forces in England and Wales have served as police officer, at any rank, outside the UK at any time prior to their appointment to Chief Constable rank.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office does not hold or collect any information on the previous postings of serving police officers in England and Wales, which may include time served outside the UK.

HM Treasury

Taxation: Self-assessment

Lord Hope of Craighead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is a complaints procedure for taxpayers who are fined for the late return of an amended paper self-assessment form following a late warning by HM Revenue and Customs that their initial return was incomplete; and if so, to whom that complaint should be addressed.

Lord Young of Cookham: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has a complaints procedure for customers who are unhappy with any aspect of the service it provides. The complaint should be addressed to PAYE and Self-Assessment Complaints, HM Revenue and Customs, BX9 1AB. Customers can also complain using an i-form. If the customer is still unhappy after HMRC have reviewed the complaint they can ask the Adjudicator to look into the complaint. The role of the Adjudicator is to provide an independent review and ensure that HMRC have followed their procedures and guidance. Information about how to do this can be found on the Gov.uk website. There is also a process in place to appeal if a Self-Assessment taxpayer receives a penalty notice that they feel has been issued inappropriately. An appeal should be received within 30 days of the date of the penalty notice. The appeal can be made in the form of a letter or completion of a Form SA370, which is available on Gov.uk. The SA370 Notes provide information to help completion of the Form SA370 including details of where to send the form. The current address to send an appeal is – Self Assessment, HM Revenue and Customs BX9 1AS United Kingdom. Further information can be obtained by ringing the Self-Assessment Helpline number which is 0845 5900 0444.

Cabinet Office

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

Lord Inglewood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many holders of a British passport living outside the UK were not entitled to vote in the referendum on leaving the EU.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: The Government does not hold this information.

Honours

Baroness Berridge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many offers of honours have been refused by intended recipients over the last three years, and what were the reasons given for any refusals to accept an honour.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: Since the New Year 2014 honours list, 122 nominees have refused the offer of an honour. This is around 2% of nominees per list. Nominees reasons for declining an award are given in confidence and the Government does not comment on the reasons given.

Department of Health

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect the independent review on alcohol by Public Health England to be completed.

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect the independent review on alcohol by Public Health England to be made available to the public.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Public Health England alcohol evidence review and peer review process is now complete and we expect this to be published shortly.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

Baroness Gardner of Parkes: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 22 April 2013 (WA 372), and in the light of proposals to introduce fluoride to tap water in Hull, what are the most recent figures for the average number of decayed, missing or filled teeth amongst (1) five year old children and (2) 12 year old children, in (a) Birmingham, and (b) Manchester.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The most recent comparable statistics are from the Public Health England Dental Public Health Intelligence Programme. The 2015 survey of five-year-old children showed an average of 0.8 decayed, missing or filled teeth among children in Birmingham and 1.3 teeth among those in Manchester. A copy of the National Dental Epidemiology Programme for England: oral health survey of five-year-old children 2015 A report on the prevalence and severity of dental decay is attached. There are no more recent figures for twelve-year-old children than those given by Earl Howe in his response of 22 April 2013 (WA 372), the 2009 survey showing an average of 0.65 decayed missing or filled teeth in Birmingham and 1.12 in Manchester.



Oral Health Survey  report
(PDF Document, 392.21 KB)

General Practitioners: Greater London

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the ratio of GPs to patients in each Clinical Commissioning Group in London in each of the last five years.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Due to the size of the data, the information requested is shown in the attached table.



GP to Patient ratio table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 95.5 KB)

Surgery: Greater London

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the average waiting time for non-elective surgery in each Clinical Commissioning Group in London in each of the last five years.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Non-elective surgery is urgent and is done as soon as clinically appropriate upon arrival at hospital. There is therefore no national measure of waiting times for patients admitted non-electively.

Mental Health Services: Greater London

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the average waiting time for a mental health treatment referral in each Clinical Commissioning Group in London in each of the last five years.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The information is not available in the format requested.

NHS: Consultants

Lord Lisvane: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many NHS consultant appointments were cancelled, other than by patients, in the last year for which figures are available.

Lord Prior of Brampton: This information is not held in the format requested.

Eggs: Consumption

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of recently published research stating that the consumption of one egg per day may lower the risk of stroke, whether they intend to review their advice that people should have no more than two eggs per week.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Eggs are included in the national food model, the Eatwell Guide. As part of this, the government recommends people eat some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein. Eggs are considered to make a valuable contribution to a healthy, balanced diet. A copy of the Eatwell Guide is attached. There are no Government recommendations on a maximum intake of eggs. There are no plans to review current advice.



Eatwell guide
(PDF Document, 10.28 MB)

Milk: Consumption

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the fact that the percentage of fat in cow's milk and human milk is the same at 3.5 per cent, what advice they have given to the public on whether they should consume whole milk, skimmed milk or semi-skimmed milk.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Milk is a valuable source of a range of nutrients, including calcium and protein. The Government recommends the consumption of lower fat milks for the general population aged over five years. This is because dairy products are a source of saturated fat which raises blood cholesterol and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Ophthalmology

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the waiting times for patients aged 60 and over referred to hospitals following initial sight tests, for each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The information in the following table shows waiting times for first outpatient appointments for patients aged 60 and over with a referral from an optometrist that were attended, and the number and percentage of such appointments that were not attended.Table: first outpatient appointments1 by attendance category for patients aged 60 and over with a referral from an optometrist, 2010-11 to 2014-15  2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-15AttendedNumber74,30479,63893,122108,448118,708Percentage of total86.6%85.3%84.8%85.7%85.2%Median time waited in days23536404243Did not attendNumber3,2603,5374,0554,3414,778Percentage of total3.8%3.8%3.7%3.4%3.4%Hospital cancelledNumber2,3683,5004,2344,8775,452Percentage of total2.8%3.7%3.9%3.9%3.9%Patient cancelledNumber5,3266,4468,1868,68210,308Percentage of total6.2%6.9%7.5%6.9%7.4%Not knownNumber494221176148156Percentage of total0.6%0.2%0.2%0.1%0.1%Total appointments 85,75293,342109,773126,496139,402Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS DigitalNotes:1. Includes activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.2. These data are not the same as the referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times data that monitor delivery of the NHS Constitution right to start consultant-led treatment within a maximum of 18 weeks from referral for non-urgent conditions.RTT data do not include patient specific information.



Table of data
(Excel SpreadSheet, 36.5 KB)

Ophthalmology

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the percentage of patients aged 60 or over who turned up for hospital appointments for referrals made following initial sight tests, for each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The information in the following table shows waiting times for first outpatient appointments for patients aged 60 and over with a referral from an optometrist that were attended, and the number and percentage of such appointments that were not attended.Table: first outpatient appointments1 by attendance category for patients aged 60 and over with a referral from an optometrist, 2010-11 to 2014-15  2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-15AttendedNumber74,30479,63893,122108,448118,708Percentage of total86.6%85.3%84.8%85.7%85.2%Median time waited in days23536404243Did not attendNumber3,2603,5374,0554,3414,778Percentage of total3.8%3.8%3.7%3.4%3.4%Hospital cancelledNumber2,3683,5004,2344,8775,452Percentage of total2.8%3.7%3.9%3.9%3.9%Patient cancelledNumber5,3266,4468,1868,68210,308Percentage of total6.2%6.9%7.5%6.9%7.4%Not knownNumber494221176148156Percentage of total0.6%0.2%0.2%0.1%0.1%Total appointments 85,75293,342109,773126,496139,402Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS DigitalNotes:1. Includes activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.2. These data are not the same as the referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times data that monitor delivery of the NHS Constitution right to start consultant-led treatment within a maximum of 18 weeks from referral for non-urgent conditions.RTT data do not include patient specific information.



Table of data
(Excel SpreadSheet, 36.5 KB)

Ophthalmology

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many ophthalmologists there are currently (1) in training, and (2) in post-training practice.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Health Education England estimates there are currently 539 ophthalmologists and seven medical ophthalmologists in training. This information is based on data from the Electronic Staff Record. NHS Digital publishes statistics on National Health Service staff working in hospital and community health services. The latest data as at 31 July 2016, published on 25 October, shows that there are 2,608 full time equivalent medical ophthalmology and ophthalmology doctors working in the NHS in England, of which 1,787 are in post training practice. These include consultants (certificate of completion of training holders) as well as associate specialists, specialty doctors, staff grade doctors and hospital practitioners/clinical assistants.

Vaccination

Baroness Walmsley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to publish the report commissioned by the Department of Health on the Cost Effectiveness Methodology for Immunisation Programmes and Procurement, and if so, when.

Baroness Walmsley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there will be a consultation on changes to the methodology used by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation that result either from the report commissioned by the Department of Health on the Cost-Effectiveness Methodology for Immunisation Programmes and Procurement or from the work of the Department of Health’s Appraisal Alignment Working Group.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department will be publishing the Cost Effectiveness Methodology for Immunisation Programmes and Procurements report in due course. The timetable has not yet been confirmed. A decision on consultation has not yet been made.

Catering: Hygiene

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are planning to require catering outlets to display their hygiene efficiency ratings on their websites in addition to the existing requirement to display them on their premises.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has responsibility for the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. Currently, it is voluntary for food businesses in England to display their hygiene ratings. Display has been mandatory in Wales since 2013 and in Northern Ireland since October 2016. Next year, as a result of a further regulation under the statutory scheme in Northern Ireland, businesses which offer online ordering of food will need to publish their rating online, so it can be seen before an order is placed. Wales is also considering introducing further regulations to require the promotion of food hygiene ratings on food businesses’ websites. The FSA considers that mandatory display of food hygiene ratings in England would be beneficial and are using the evidence from Wales to build a strong case. The FSA is exploring how a statutory scheme, including online display of ratings by businesses, could be delivered in England, aligned with our wider regulatory reform approach. The Government will consider this evidence carefully once it is available.

Vitamin D

Baroness Quin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the recommendations of the report by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition on Vitamin D and health, what steps they are taking in conjunction with Public Health England to raise public awareness of the need for greater intake of vitamin D through dietary supplementation and safe sun exposure.

Baroness Quin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider the fortification of foods with vitamin D in order to implement the Reference Nutrient Intake for vitamin D recommended by the report of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition on Vitamin D and health.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Following the recommendations of the report by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition on Vitamin D and Health, Public Health England has updated advice on vitamin D on the NHS Choices website. A copy of the NHS Choices advice webpage is attached. The Government has looked at groups where dietary recommendations are not being reached and has decided that in these cases mandatory fortification is not the right way forward. There is no plan to introduce it for vitamin D in England.



NHS Choices Vitamin D Webpage 
(PDF Document, 15.4 KB)

Organic Foods

Lord Cotter: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to promote organic foods with the aim of reducing potential health effects such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Organic food production is based on low input, sustainable systems which provide environmental benefits. The Government’s view is that there is no firm evidence to support claims of consistent differences in the nutrient content of organic food, compared to conventional, or to confirm beneficial health effects associated with their consumption. For the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer, the Government encourages individuals to adopt a healthy balanced diet, as represented in the Eatwell Guide. This means increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, oily fish and fibre, and reducing the consumption of energy (calories), saturated fat, salt and sugar. A copy of the Eatwell Guide is attached.



Eatwell guide
(PDF Document, 10.28 MB)

Macular Degeneration

The Earl of Dundee: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the incidence of macular degeneration in the elderly, what plans they have to encourage further research into the disease.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Investment in eye-related research by the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has more than tripled from £7 million in 2010-11, to £22 million in 2015-16. This investment includes a wide range of research relating to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Current investment in AMD research through NIHR programmes includes:- a £2.2 million trial of stereotactic radiotherapy for wet AMD;- a £2.2 million study of early detection of neo-vascular AMD; and- a £0.9 million study of the efficacy of the telescopic mirror implant for AMD. The NIHR also funds AMD research through infrastructure, including the NIHR biomedical research centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and University College London. Current funding for this centre ends in March 2017 and the NIHR has recently awarded the centre a total of £19 million over five years from April 2017. The usual practice of the NIHR is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics - research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including AMD. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.